By the time he was 15, endless practice on the streets of the Cregagh estate in Belfast had equipped him with the sublime skill and the impudence to catch the eye of Manchester United scout Bob Bishop.

Bishop sent a telegram back to manager Matt Busby simply saying: “I have found a genius.”

Best helped United to the league championship in 1967 and drew a wider audience in the club’s first European Cup triumph, against Benfica in 1968, scoring a trademark goal, walking the ball into the net.

Superstar status beckoned and Best lapped up the attention. Living a pop-star lifestyle, he was dubbed the “fifth Beatle”.

In the FA Cup 5th round in 1970, Best scored an astonishing six goals against Northampton Town, showcasing his mastery of all aspects of the game and sealing his status as a football genius.

He exited top-flight football at just 25 in favour of his other two passions, women and wine.

Throughout the 1970s he showed only flashes of his brilliance with lower league clubs and in America where, playing for the San Jose Earthquakes, he scored one of best goals one is ever likely to see.

Slowly but surely, the drink withered his skill, destroying his career and, more than two decades later, his life.